DEFENSE MINISTRY BLAMED FOR OUTBREAK

[Anchor Lead]

The National Defense Committee blasted the defense ministry for the mass outbreak of COVID-19 at the Cheonghae Unit. The vaccination issue had been discussed before the unit’s departure. However it departed with its members unvaccinated and the military asked only one country to immunize the Korean troops.

[Pkg]

Prior to the Cheonghae Unit’s departure, the vaccination issue had been discussed at a working-level meeting.

[Soundbite] Boo Suk-jong(Chief of Naval Operations) : "We discussed the matter at a meeting in February. We did not reach any decisions prior to the unit’s departure."

The Defense Ministry later asked the country where the Cheonghae Unit often makes port of call to immunize the Korean troops, but its request was turned down. The ministry did not look for other alternatives.

[Soundbite] Suh Wook(Minister of Defense) : "We asked the defense attache in Oman if they could immunize the unit or administer vaccines that the unit would bring from Korea. They turned down both requests. We should have put in further effort and regret that we did not."

The military also received criticism for concluding that the troops did not have COVID-19 by conducting inaccurate simplified tests when the outbreak had in fact just begun.

[Soundbite] Kim Byung-kee(National Defense Committee) : "Failure to vaccinate the unit and provide it with rapid antigen test kits is a misstep, isn't it? (Yes.) There’s no excuse for it. It was a misjudgment."

The military also came under fire for reporting the outbreak belatedly. Infections in the unit spread rapidly after the first infected member developed symptoms. But the issue had not been reported to supervisors until July 10, and it took four more days to report the coronavirus outbreak.

[Soundbite] Won In-choul(Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff) : "I received the first report about the coronavirus in the late hours of July 14. I wish it had been done earlier."

[Soundbite] Lee Che-ik(National Defense Committee) : "Prompt reporting is vital in the military. Otherwise, it’s meaningless. The minister of defense must decide on his next step now."

The People Power Party is demanding a probe. The Democratic Party has shown a negative response. The minister of defense says it’s up to those in charge of personnel matters to decide whether he should resign or not.